


A Soul For A Soul

by kamala_khan_for_president



Series: A Soul For A Soul [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, I only fixed one character death because I'm lazy, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 07:43:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18687130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kamala_khan_for_president/pseuds/kamala_khan_for_president
Summary: MAJOR ENDGAME SPOILERS, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIEAs Steve returns the Infinity Stones to the timeline, he learns the other side of the "a soul for a soul" deal.





	A Soul For A Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Endgame made me sad, so I wrote this
> 
> Also, idk what constitutes graphic descriptions of violence, so I marked it just to be safe

The sun was beginning to set over the farmhouse as the Barton family returned home, Wanda Maximoff in tow. No one was talking, just trailing back into the building. They didn’t mention the photo frames missing from the walls, some memories too painful to face at that moment.

Wanda was stood in the middle of the room awkwardly, clinging tightly to the strap of the backpack she had over one shoulder. Lila approached her.

“We haven’t changed your room,” the girl said. Wanda turned to look at her. “I know you haven’t been here since before the Avenger split up, but we didn’t change anything. It’s just as you left it”

“Thanks,” Wanda replied. She looked over at Clint and Laura. “And thanks for letting me come back here”

“It’s nothing, sweetie” Laura brushed off. “You’ll always have a home here. We’ll see you in the morning”

Wanda smiled and headed upstairs, Cooper following her as he also went to bed. Laura scooped up Nathaniel. “We’re going up as well. I’ll see you in a moment.” She pressed a quick kiss to Clint’s lips before she followed the others upstairs”

Clint looked over at Lila. “You going up too, kiddo?”

“In a minute,” she answered as she busied herself in the kitchen. “I’m just making hot chocolate”

A knock sounded at the front door. Clint and Lila exchanged a look.

“Hide,” he muttered to her, shooting a glare at her as she went to grab her bow. He opened the door and gasped in shock. “What the fuck?”

***

_Two days earlier_

Steve dropped into the Quantum Realm for the fourth time that day. So far, he’d been able to return the Reality, Time, Mind and Power Stones to the times they’d been taken from. Now he had only the Soul and Space Stones to return. He was on Vormir, ready to return the Soul Stone. Ahead of him, he could see the mountain that Clint had described to him before he’d left. He sighed and started walking towards the mountain. He’d almost reached the top when a cloaked figured appeared from the shadows and began to hover in front of him.

“You who seeks the stone,” the figure spoke. “You are wasting your time. The Stone is not here”

Steve squinted at the figure. “Schmidt?”

The figure threw back his hood to reveal the burned face of the Red Skull. “Steve Rogers, son of a bitch, you should be dead!”

“Says you,” Steve snapped. “What are you doing here?”

“I guard the Soul Stone,” he replied. “It’s my eternal punishment, although it appears that the universe has decided I deserve further punishment if they’ve sent you here as well”

“I’m not here to punish you,” Steve said. He waved the case containing the Stones. “I’m here to return the Soul Stone”

Red Skull rolled his eyes at Steve. “Of course you are, always Mr. Righteous. Can’t let his friends get away with taking something, even when one of them got herself killed getting it”

“Don’t you talk about her like that,” Steve hissed. “She was my friend and she died to save trillions.” He stalked past Red Skull and towards the edge of the cliff. Looking down, he could faintly see the shape of a body laying lifelessly on the floor. He sucked in a breath as he realised he was looking at what was left of Natasha. He opened the case and pulled the Soul Stone out of the case. He held it up for a moment before throwing it off the cliff. He watched the orange light fade away before closing the case.

All of a sudden, the world around him started to light up in a brilliant white light, all flooding upwards, following the shape of the mountain before Steve’s vision turned black and he passed out.

***

When Steve awoke again, he was lying in a vast, but shallow pool of water. The case containing the last Stone, Mjolnir and his shield were all lying to one side. He went to sit up, but a wave of dizziness overtook him, and he slumped back down.

“You really giving up that quickly?” a voice asked.

Steve suddenly bolted upright, ignoring the pain in his head as he did so, staring in wonder at the person sat before him. She was wearing the same clothes as when Steve had last seen her, red hair that faded into blonde tied back in the same plait.

It was Natasha.

***

Her foot made contact with the face of the cliff and she kicked herself backwards and out of Clint’s grasp. The wind whipped through her hair, whistling in her ears as she fell down. She kept her eyes on her friend as she fell, making sure he didn’t try anything stupid.

After a few seconds, she felt her back hit the floor. A sickening crack echoed through her ears as her back broke. She could feel each individual bone in her back shattering as the impact jolted through her body. Her head hit the ground immediately after, breaking her neck and smashing her skull on the ground. The world around Natasha immediately went black and everything seemed to stop.

What felt like just a few seconds later, a ringing sound began to sound in Natasha’s ear. She forced her eyes open and took in her surroundings. She was still lying on the ground, but the view was different. Clint and the mountain had gone, and the sky had turned from a stormy black-blue to a glowing orange. As the rest of her senses came back, she realised that she was lying in a pool of shallow water. A dull ache throbbed through her lower back, neck and back of her head.

She heard the sound of someone a few feet away. She sat up and watched as Steve attempted to sit up before quickly giving up.

“You really giving up that quickly?”

***

“That’s not possible, how are you here?” Steve gasped as he stared at his friend. “Clint said you were dead?”

Natasha looked around confused. “Where is Clint?” she asked. As she turned her head, Steve could see the back of her hair was matted with dried blood.

“Shit,” Steve cursed as he rushed over to her. “He’s back home with his family. “He moved Natasha’s hair back off her head and checked the back of her head. There was no open wound, but a fresh scar was covering the base of her skull, chunks of hair missing from the area. It was clear that whatever injuries she’d sustained in the fall had been healed. “Jesus Natasha, how are you still alive? I saw your body at the bottom of the cliff, you were dead”

“Like that could stop me,” Natasha joked. “How can Clint be back with his family? They’re gone, remember? If I’m still here, then you didn’t get the Soul Stone”

“We did,” Steve answered. “We got all the stones and brought everyone back. We did it, Nat, we won. I came to return all the stones. I returned the Soul Stone and then I woke up here, just like Clint said happened to him. And you were here”

“A soul for a soul,” Natasha said. “You returned the Soul Stone, and so the sacrifice was returned to you.” She smiled lightly for a moment. “What happened? How did you do it?”

“Bruce used the stones to bring everyone back,” Steve began to explain. “It worked, but then an evil version of Nebula from 2014 brought Thanos and his army through. With everyone back we were able to fight them off, but Tony...” Steve took a shaky breath as his eyes began to water. “Tony didn’t make it”

Natasha gasped in shock. “Oh god. Poor Pepper. And poor Morgan, she’s only little, she shouldn’t have had to lose her father like that. Did he at least know that we’d done it, that we got everyone back?”

“He did,” Steve replied. “Got to see the kid, Peter, again as well. He was with him when he died, so we’re Pepper and Rhodey”

Natasha nodded and wiped a few tears off her cheeks. “So what happens now?”

“I only have the Space Stone left to return,” Steve answered, showing Natasha the almost empty case.

“And then you’re going home,” Natasha finished. Steve looked away guiltily. “Steve? What are you planning?”

“I’m going back to Peggy,” Steve explained. “Finally got another chance with my best girl, I’m not going to miss it this time”

“So I spent months trying to set you up on dates, and all I had to do was invent time travel,” Natasha teased. “Shoulda told me sooner, Cap”

“I hate you,” Steve jokingly snapped as he playfully hit her on the arm. “What about you?”

Natasha did a quick check of her suit. “Nothing seems to be too badly broken.” She pulled a small red vial out of pocket. “And I’ve still got my Pym particles. Where and when did you leave from?”

“Couple of days after the funeral, near where the Compound used to be,” Steve answered. “Compounds gone by the way. But that’s only set up to accept me back, we didn’t want to take any risks after what happened with Thanos. But there is another way that you can get home.” He put a date and location into the small device that controlled their movement through time. “When you get there, stay small. Don’t try and intervene, no matter how much you want to. And stay hidden until I’ve left”

Natasha nodded. “Got it. So, I guess this it”

“Yeah, it is”

She leaned over to hug her friend tight. “Goodbye Cap”

“Goodbye Widow,” Steve replied as he hugged her back. The pair stood up and readied themselves to leave. Steve grabbed the case and Mjolnir, much to Natasha’s confusion. “Yeah, I was surprised as you are”

The two shot each other one last smile before shrinking down and vanishing into the quantum realm.

***

Natasha fell forward and out of the quantum tunnel in the back of Scott’s van. Whilst still remaining at her small size, she moved out of the way before the vehicle was destroyed. She dashed up the side of the crater that used to be her home and his behind the rubble before returning to normal size. Thankfully, no one saw her. She stayed at a distance as she watched the last few moments of the battle.

“I am inevitable”

“I am Iron Man”

She watched as Tony snapped his fingers, using the power of the Infinity Stones to destroy Thanos and his army. All around the battlefield, creatures began to turn to dust, just like half the universe had done five years ago. Thanos was the last to go. She smirked slightly at the sight, even if it wasn’t the same Thanos that had killed her friends, it was still satisfying to see him suffer the same fate.

She turned slightly to look at Tony and winced at the sight. He was sat slumped against a large piece of rubble, the skin on the right side of his body was blackened by burns and his breathing was shallow, practically non-existent. Even if Steve hadn’t told her that he died, it was obvious from the extent of his injuries that he stood no chance.

She watched as Peter Parker rushed over to his mentor and spoke to him the same hurried voice that he spoken to all of them in, back in Germany, what felt like a lifetime ago. Pepper pulled him back slightly and knelt down in front of her dying husband. She couldn’t make out what Pepper said but saw the woman didn’t break down until after the arc reactor on the front of Tony’s suit died, staying strong and calm for him in his final moments. As the rest of the Avengers and their allies moved closer to Tony and Pepper, Natasha took her chance and slipped away from the scene unnoticed.

***

_Two days later_

Truth be told, Natasha never thought that she’d been attending her own funeral. No one did. But here she was anyway. Hidden behind a small wall at the edge of the land the cemetery was built on, she remained crouched out of sight as she listened in.

“Auntie Nat was one of the best friends I ever had”

Natasha sucked in a breath as she fought back tears. She hadn’t expected Lila to be making a speech.

“She knew me my whole life, longer than that even. She’s been part of my life and looking out for me since before I was even born. I always looked up to her, wanted to be just like her when I grew up. In the playground at school, whenever we played Avengers, all the other kids were Hulk or Thor, but I was always Black Widow. Not just because she was a girl Avenger and that was cool, although it was, it was because she was my Auntie Nat. Growing up she was always there for me and my family. I was too little to understand at the time of New York, but she brought my Dad home. She made sure that she was keeping my family together, and I think that’s what she thought she was doing when she sacrificed herself. She has always been ready to die to save my family, but…” The girl started to choke up slightly. “But she never seemed to understand that she _was_ part of my family”

Natasha peered over the wall slightly to see Clint walking up to where Lila was stood and wrapped his arms around his daughter as she cried. Natasha felt like shit for making the little girl cry.

“Just a few more days,” she muttered to herself. “She’ll be happy then”

***

_Later that day_

Natasha hid up a tree across the lake at Tony’s funeral. She watched as the wreath of flowers was sent drifting across the lake, the original arc reactor placed in the middle. Everyone was gathered on the shore, stood in silence. Under any other circumstances, Natasha would’ve been overjoyed to see everyone alive again, but right now it felt like a cruel joke without Tony there to join them. It felt even crueller that she couldn’t be there for Pepper, one of her closest friends, but instead forced to watch from a distance. She dropped back down from the tree, wincing at the pain it caused her still sore back as she landed and headed off to wait until Steve left to return the Stones.

***

_Two days later_

Hidden up a tree for the second time that week, Natasha watched as Steve leave to return the stones. She smiled slightly to herself as Steve didn’t reappear, but instead watched as the older Steve quietly slipped out of the treeline and sat down on a bench overlooking the lake. It only took a few moments for Bucky to notice Steve. Sam approached him first. Natasha couldn’t tell what they were saying but could see the look of shock on Sam’s face as Steve handed him the shield. Bucky and Bruce joined the others in the bench and the group sat and chatted for a while. After about twenty minutes, Natasha discretely climbed out of the tree and signalled to Steve. He nodded slightly at her before turning to say goodbye. Natasha slipped through the trees and hid near Steve’s car in the carpark. She heard him slowly approaching, but he wasn’t alone.

“I’m glad that you and Peggy had another chance,” Bucky said.

Steve grinned at him. “It’s been a good life. I’m just sorry that she didn’t live long enough to get the chance to know you and the rest of the team”

Bucky threw a glance over his shoulder to make sure that Sam and Bruce were out of sight and earshot. “You can come out now Nat”

Natasha appeared from behind the trees, shooting a slight glare at Bucky. “How did you know?”

“I saw you getting out from the tree, which was pretty impressive for a dead person,” he joked. “Seriously, why are they telling that everyone that you’re dead?”

“Because they think I’m dead,” Natasha explained. “I was until Steve returned the Soul Stone, and then I came back. I couldn’t tell anyone until Steve left, but I wanted to wait and see Clint and family first”

“I won’t tell anyone,” Bucky promised. “Not until you’re ready to come back”

“Thanks,” Natasha said. “But I’m not sure that I’m coming back. Sure, I’m not going to let people keep thinking I’m dead when I’m okay, but I’m done”

“What happened to not having anything before you had the Avengers?” Steve asked.

“Things have changed since then,” she answered. “Thor’s left, Clint and Bruce have retired, Tony’s… Tony’s gone. And Steve’s all old now. I’m the only original member left. And I’ve missed the Bartons. If they’re back, I’m going to see them.

“How are you planning on getting there?” Bucky asked.

Steve raised his hand. “I offered to drive her. The only reason we haven’t gone already is that I wouldn’t have had been able to get back here on time”

“And he had to be here to make his dramatic entrance, didn’t he?” Bucky teased. “Nice to see you haven’t changed at all.” Behind them, they could hear the sounds of Sam and Bruce making their way back to the carpark. “If you’re planning on surprising the Bartons, go now or those two will ruin it. I’ll see you later.” He shot a look at Steve. “Both of you”

Steve and Natasha grinned at him before getting in Steve’s car and driving away quickly before Bruce and Sam could arrive. Sam watched the car leave.

“Should someone tell Cap that he doesn’t need to drive like he’s being chased by Hydra anymore?” he asked, before freezing and staring down at the shield in his hands. “Wait, I’m Cap now”

***

_Now_

After two days of driving, Steve and Natasha were almost at the farmhouse. They’d spent the whole journey talking and exchanging stories, Natasha talking about some of the chaos of directing the Avengers’ allies over the last five years, as well as some older stories about the Barton kids, Steve talking about his life with Peggy and their family.

“This just makes you snogging Sharon all that weirder,” Natasha teased.

“Did you really just say snog?” Steve asked.

“Did you really just change the subject like that?” Natasha countered. She leant her head against the window and watched as the familiar scenery passed them by. “How come the Bartons are only just getting home?”

“They had to stop at Laura’s parents on the way home,” Steve explained. “They survived the last five years and wanted to see their daughter and grandkids again. They didn’t even mind having Clint there, but they were making things awkward with Wanda and the kids wanted to go home”

They pulled up alongside the edge of the property and Natasha jumped out the car. “Thanks for the lift”

“Sure I can’t take you the whole way?” Steve asked.

“I’m good, thanks anyway,” she answered as she grabbed her bag from the boot. “And thanks for letting me stay with you the last few days”

Steve smiled at her one last time before driving away. Natasha started walking through the woods towards the farmhouse. She’d just reached the edge of the woods when she saw the car pull into the drive. She hung back and watched for a moment as everyone walked inside before making her way to the front door. She knocked on the door. She heard Clint ordering someone to hide before the door was opened.

“What the fuck?” he muttered.

“Hey,” Natasha said. “Do you think Pepper will be pissed I didn’t say anything at the funeral?”

Clint choked on a sob and wrapped arms around his friend in a tight hug. Natasha was quick to return the hug, trying to ignore the pain in her back. he pulled back after a moment. “You stupid, self-sacrificing idiot!” he yelled, emphasising every word with a hit to the arm. Natasha winced slightly. “Shit, Tasha, what’s wrong?”

“Still hurts from where I smashed my spine,” she jokingly explained. “Might have been healed, but it still hurts”

“How are you still alive? I thought you were dead,” Clint said.

“I was,” she started. “But when Steve returned the Soul Stone, I came back. I managed to get back to our time and I came here. I’m done with the Avengers.” She bit her lip slightly as she fought back a few tears. “Can I come home?”

Clint nodded and hugged her again.

“Dad, what’s going on?” Lila asked, creeping around from where she’d been, bow and arrow in hand. She dropped the bow and rushed forwards when she Natasha. “Auntie Nat!”

Natasha allowed the girl to barrel into her, but this time Clint spotted Natasha’s wince.

“Hey, be careful with Auntie Nat, okay. She got hurt really bad and is still in a lot of pain,” Clint instructed. Lila nodded and pulled back slightly. By now, Lila’s yelling had got everyone else’s attention and people started appearing downstairs.

“Natasha,” Wanda gasped. She rushed forward and went to hug her friend but was stopped by Lila.

“She’s hurt, you gotta be careful with her,” the younger girl instructed. Wanda nodded and stayed back slightly.

“I thought you were dead,” Wanda sobbed.

“Clint, what’s going on?” Laura asked as she and the other kids came downstairs. She gasped when she saw Natasha. “How is this possible?”

“Steve returned the Soul Stone and she came back,” Clint answered. He shot his other two kids a look. “Be gentle with her, she’s still in pain from getting badly hurt on Vormir.” He left out the part where the fall had killed her, Lila and Cooper were old enough to understand, but Nate was still little.

“What was space like?” Lila asked excitedly, staring up her aunt in adoration.

“In the morning,” Laura said. “Let her sleep. And you lot need sleep as well”

The kids grumbled but followed when Laura and Wanda ushered them out of the room and upstairs, leaving Clint and Natasha alone again. Clint grabbed her bag off of her.

“Hey, I can carry that!” Natasha snapped.

“Consider this me trying to repay you for sacrificing yourself me,” Clint argued. He led her over to the sofas and the pair sat down. “How are you? Seriously though, you can’t be okay after all that”

“I’m not,” she answered. “That’s why I didn’t go back to the Avengers, wherever they are now, what with the Compound being blown up and all. Nice moves, keeping the gauntlet away from Thanos”

“You were there?” Clint asked. “How?”

“Came through the quantum realm tunnel in the back of Scott’s van before it got destroyed,” she explained. “I managed to slip away right after the fight ended. Steve told me what happened to Tony, but I couldn’t save him. We’d already fucked with the timeline as much as it was, couldn’t risk doing anything else”

“You’re back now, that’s all that matters,” Clint replied. “How long are you planning on staying?”

“As long as you and Laura will let me,” she answered.

Clint grinned. “So, this is a permanent move,” he joked. “We’ve already got Wanda, might as well keep both the strays that I dragged home. We haven’t changed your room, it’s just as you left it”

“Why do I get the feeling that Wanda got the same speech?” Natasha asked. “But, thanks”

“You didn’t answer the question,” Clint pointed out. “How are you?”

Natasha sighed. “I don’t know how to feel. Like, I’m so happy and grateful to be alive, but at the same time, everything seems so weird and just wrong. I died, and I can remember it. I remember it so clearly, the pain I felt when hit the ground, the world going black and then I woke up in a pool of water and Steve was there. I’ve being staying with him for the past couple of days”

“The old Steve that Sam keeps texting me about?” Clint asked.

“That would be him,” she answered. “Been a weird few days”

Clint sighed. “We had a funeral, a fucking funeral Natasha”

“I know, I was there,” Natasha replied. “Would it be weird if I told Lila that I found her eulogy very touching?”

“Yes, it would be very weird,” Clint answered. “But weird is our speciality at this point.” The two laughed lightly for a moment. “I’m so glad you’re back”

“Me too.” She looked around the room. “It’s good to be home”

**Author's Note:**

> I just really love the dynamic between Natasha and the Barton family, as well as Clint and Wanda's relationship and I just want them all to be happy on the farm together
> 
> Also, would people be interested in a part two? I have a couple of ideas, but I'm not sure if I'll do them


End file.
